


Tenure

by katebishops



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 16:58:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7649056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katebishops/pseuds/katebishops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So how did that video of Dr. Erin Gilbert covered in ectoplasm and screaming about ghosts even end up online?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tenure

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't really think anything of the video from the Aldridge Mansion being online besides a plot point for Erin to join the Ghostbusters, but as I was walking out of the theater on my [FOGHORN BLOWING]th viewing, my friend asked "How'd they even find the video anyway?" And then this was born. 
> 
> (Btw, that awkwardness/resentment/emotion between Abby and Erin at the beginning of the movie was not We Used To Be Platonic Friends and Now Aren't that was deadass me when I saw my ex girlfriend at the grocery store I will die on this hill.)

Sunday was Erin's favorite day of the week. Although the Ghostbusters didn't have a typical Monday to Friday, nine to five job, they almost always had Sundays off unless there was a ghostly emergency. One of the many perks about being self employed (although officially funded by the mayor). And so, Sundays consisted of naked cuddling with Holtz until about noon, when they'd either go to the farmer's market, have brunch with Patty and Abby, or sneak into a bookstore, buy too many books, and make out in the nonfiction section. They made each other dinner at night and then hate watched Ghost Jumpers, drinking just enough wine to relax and making fun of the bad science. Sundays also involved _a lot_ of orgasms.

Basically, Sundays were fucking awesome.

Today was a usual Sunday without any calls. It was only ten in the morning but it was already shaping up to be a great day, as evidenced by the hickeys on Erin's chest. She was currently being aggressively spooned by Holtz, whose hair was actually down. Erin blushed a little when she thought about why.

"Babe?" Holtzmann asked. She sounded like she had been thinking.

"Mmm," Erin responded sleepily. She was so close to falling back asleep for a little bit.

"C'mon, I need you to be awake for this. I have something to tell you and I've needed to tell you for a while, so don't make me repeat it," she said. Erin thought she sounded nervous, something she wasn't used to hearing. That worried her. Holtz could feel the building tension in Erin's body, so she immediately said, "I'm not breaking up with you. It's not that at all."

Erin relaxed. She was always such an anxious person, had been since she was a child, and to be with someone who didn't make fun of her anxiety but instead learned what she needed to hear was a breath of fresh air after years of people telling her to just get over it. Holtz knew Erin was always worried that she'd realize she could do better and leave, which frankly was ridiculous because in her mind, there was no better girlfriend than Erin Gilbert.

Holtz took a deep breath. “I’m the reason you got fired,” she said.

"Wait, what?"

She sighed. "You didn't even consider how that video ended up online, did you?"

"Well, no...I just..I guess I never thought about it. I was too upset about being fired."

"Yeah. That was, uh, that was me."

"But why?" Erin asked. Holtzmann couldn't read her face, since she was the big spoon, and Erin's body language wasn't telling her much. She decided to plow on, regardless of how angry Erin might get.

"Because Abby was – she is – my best friend. You and Patty are the best, and you know I love you, but Abby was the first person to accept me for who I am. And for a long time, she was my only friend. The only person who would talk to me like I wasn't a freak. And for all the years I knew her but not you, I kept hearing about this ex-girlfriend who broke her heart. Fuck, she didn't even care about the book; she was angry and sad that you left _her_." Erin winced, knowing Holtz was right. Abby had always been there for her and she had thrown that aside.

Holtz continued, "And I'm glad that you two have no more grudges and are really happy being best friends again, I know she doesn't feel anything for you anymore, but for so long she was hurt. And then I met you, you just showed up and I could tell she was upset, so...I wanted to get back at you. For her, because I knew she wasn't going to do anything. So I posted the video and I sent the Reddit link to another professor who would recognize you. I just looked at their science department and picked one. I didn't want to send it to the dean because that seemed too suspicious but I still knew he'd find out. And I know I should be sorry, but I’m not."

Looking back, it made perfect sense to Erin. It should've been obvious and she was embarrassed she never realized it sooner. Only Abby and Holtzmann had the footage, and the engineer was right when she said Abby wouldn't have posted the video without Erin's consent. The ghost part, sure, but she would've edited out Erin's little meltdown. The only reason she republished the book was for money, not to humiliate Erin. Abby was always looking out for her even when she didn't deserve it.

Erin knew that contrary to popular belief, Holtz did know about how most people's brains work. She knew all about appearing respectable, about tenure (at Columbia, no less), about pretending to be someone else in order to fit in. She just never saw the point of it. But she could recognize from the minute Dr. Erin Gilbert, PhD and professor at Columbia University, appeared at the Higgins Institute, that she certainly cared about all those things. Erin winced internally when she thought about how she used to be. She had relied too heavily on the validation of others and never thought to get her confidence from inside. It was one of the many things being with the Ghostbusters had taught her. Patty never needed to get above a Bachelor’s in history because she was happy with her life and studied on her own terms, what she wanted and when she wanted. She didn’t care if others doubted or laughed at her degree. Abby had dove right into researching the paranormal because she truly believed in it, working at a bad school because she didn’t care about the prestige or reputation. Her work was more important. And of course Holtz, who was happy being her weird self.

Erin snuggled closer to her girlfriend. “I feel like I should be angry, but I’m not. I’m glad you’re not sorry. Getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Holtz looked surprised. “Really?"

“Well, if I hadn’t gotten fired I wouldn’t have reconnected with Abby. We wouldn’t have ever met besides the one time, and if I ever saw Patty it would just be a glance at the worker in the MTA booth and then I’d forget all about her. We’re a family, remember?”

Holtz smiled and kissed Erin, pulling herself on top of her. “Probably helps that we stopped an apocalypse, too,” the engineer laughed as Erin’s fingers skated over her nipples.

“Yeah, that too,” Erin said.

“Would’ve been hard to teach at Columbia if there was no school left,” Holtz said as Erin’s lips started in on her neck.

“Who cares about Columbia right now?” Erin said. “I’m trying to seduce you.”

“You know you don’t need to try, but I will gladly – oh!” Erin’s hand had just reached farther down, gently rubbing her Holtz’s clit. “Will you stop talking already, Holtz?”

After that, the talking stopped for a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm literal Ghostbusters garbage, I don't know how this happened I just wanted to see it to piss off all the MRAs and that was [SHRILL TRAIN WHISTLE] viewings ago I can't stop thinking about it and I'm having withdrawals whenever I go too long without seeing it so here you are. Comments and reviews are very welcome. I haven't written fic in about two years and I've never written for these characters, so please let me know what you thought. I'm sorry it's not longer but I literally didn't know what else to add. I am working on a second Holtzbert fic that is longer though, so if you liked this one hopefully you'll like the next one.
> 
> Yell at me to stop procrastinating at go write at mrsjillianholtz dot tumblr dot com.


End file.
